Germany: UN Security Council reform considered

Foreign ministers of German-speaking countries mull restricting use of veto by UN Security Council members in situations of grave human rights violations

Europe

27 Kasım 2014 Perşembe 23:18

World Bulletin/News Desk

Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Liechtenstein have discussed proposals on reforming UN Security Council and restricting the veto right of permanent members, Liechtenstein’s Foreign Minister Aurelia Frick has said on Thursday.

The discussion on Thursday came as UN Security Council faces growing international criticism for its failure to act in severe crises such as Syria and Ukraine.

Frick said at a joint press conference in Berlin following the annual meeting of foreign ministers of German-speaking countries: "We have discussed how the use of veto right can be abandoned in gross human rights violations."

Frick did not give more details about the proposals but stressed that reform of UN Security Council has been among the issues of common interest between the German-speaking countries.

EU’s economic heavyweight Germany has long been a strong supporter of reform at the Security Council demanding a more representative body and expressing readiness to assume greater responsibility.

Germany’s Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier hosted this year's annual meeting at Villa Borsig, the guest house of the German Foreign Ministry.

Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz, the President and Foreign Minister of Switzerland Didier Burkhalter and Liechtenstein’s Foreign Minister Aurelia Frick participated at the meeting, which functions as a forum where ministers of four countries discuss international political developments and cultural programs to promote German language worldwide.

The UN Security Council has five permanent members with veto powers: the U.S., U.K., France, Russia and China.